Low income adults who were part of a medical home and had health insurance had fewer cost-related access problems, were more likely to be up-to-date with preventive screenings, and reported greater satisfaction with the quality of their care, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund.

Among low-income adults with health coverage, only 35% of respondents with a medi­cal home reported having cost-related access problems, compared with 50% of respondents without a medical home. This number is comparable to the number of higher-income adults reporting cost-related access problems, which was 34%.

Among low-income adults with health insurance, over half (52%) of respondents with a medical home reported receiving all recommended preventive screen­ings, compared with only 44% of respondents without a medical home. This is comparable to the number of higher-income adults who reported receiving all recommended preventive screenings, at 59%.

22% of uninsured low-income respondents rated the quality of their care as excellent or very good; this number rose to 35% for low-income adults with health insurance but not a medical home, and rose more to 54% for those with health insurance and a medical home.

The authors state that along with expanding coverage for low-income adults, it will be important for public and private stakeholders to create opportunities that enhance access to medical homes.